
Book lJ/LM 



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GEOGRAPHY 



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PREPARED EXPRESSLY FOR MONTEITH'S GEOGRAPHY, 



Prof. H. B. NORTON, 

OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE NORMAL SCHOOL. 



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A. S. BARNES & CO.. NEW YORK, CHICAGO, AND New Orleans. 



Copyright, 1880, by James Monteith. 



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THE PACIFIC COAST REGION. 



83 



GEISTERAL AND LOCAL QUESTIONS. 

What is the planet called on which we live? The 
Earth. On what Continent do we live ? The Western. 
In what country ? In what State? In what county? In 
what city, town, or village ? 

Mention the name cf one or more rivers which you 
have seen. Lakes. Hills. Mountains. Bays. Islands. 

Which IS the highest mountain you have seen ? 
What is its height ? In what direction is it from you ? 
Point in that direction. 

Which is the largest city, town, or village you have 
seen? Point towards it. How did you go there? 
What most attracted your attention thcie? Name some 
of the largest buildings you ever saw ? What can vou 
say about them ? Of what materials were they built ? 
How is a railroad built ? A bridge ? What is a tunnel ? 
A mill? What do you know about mills? About 
wheat? About corn? About fiour? About farming? 
About mining? About cloth? About leather ? 

How is this country governed ? By men elected by 
the people. What kind of a government is it therefore ? 
A Republic. Mention some other republics. France, 
Switzerland, Mexico, and most of the Countries in 
South America. 

What kind of government is that of Great Britain, 
Prussia, Spain, and most other countries in Europe and 
Asia? Monarchy. 

How does a Monarchy differ from a Republic? The 
monarch or ruler holds his or her office for life, and 
is succeeded by a son, daughter, or some other 
relative. 

What is that city called in which a monarch resides, 
or in which the laws of a Country or State are made ? 
The capital. 

What is the metropolis or chief city ? The city which 
contains the largest number of inhabitants. What is 
the capital of your State (or your Territory) ? Who is 
the highest officer in a State or a Territory? The Gov- 
ernor. By whom is the governor of a State selected ? 
By the people. The governor of a Territory. By the 
President and Senate of the United States. 

Stand up and point to the East, — to the West, — to the 
North, — to the South. 

Toward which of these points does your school-house 
face ? 

In what direction does the nearest road or street 
extend ? In what direction is your house from the 
school? The school from j'our house? 

Place your slate upon the table and draw two parallel 
lines to represent the road or street near your school ; 
next draw a figure representing your school grounds, 
giving each line its proper direction, and then show 
where the school-building stands. 



MAP QUESTIONS. 

What States and Territories lie wholly between the 
Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains? Which bor- 
der on the Pacific? On British America? On Mexico? 

What parallel of latitude forms the northern boundary 
of Washington? The forty-ninth (49 N. Lat.). 

Between which does the Columbia River flow? The 
Colorado ? The Lewis or Snake ? 

What mountains in California? In Oregon? In 
Washington? In Nevada? 

What lakes in Utah? In California? In Nevada? 
In Oregon? Which is the largest lake in the Pacific 
Coast Region? Which is the largest lake in California? 

Name the two principal rivers in California. In 
Arizona. One in Nevada. One in Oregon. Three in 
Washington. Three in Idaho. 

What State and Territories lie on both sides of the 
Rocky Mountains and are drained partly into the Pacific 
and partly into the Atlantic Ocean ? 

What large rivers drain the Eastern or Atlantic Slope 
of Colorado? Of Wyoming? Of Montana? What 
large river rises in Colorado and flows through New 
Mexico ? What large river with its branches drains the 
Western or Pacific Slope of Colorado ? Of Wyoming ? 
Of Montana? Of New Mexico? 

In what directions and on what waters would 3-ou sail 
from San Francisco to Portland ? Portland to Seattle ? 
Seattle to Olympia? San Francisco to San Diego? 

In what part of what State or Territory are the follow- 
ing places ; 

Mountains. — Sierra Nevada, Cascade Range, Coast 
Range, Mt. Whitney, Mt. Shasta, Mt. Lyell, Mt. Hood, 
Mt. St. Helen's, Humboldt, Blue. 

Rivers. — Tell ichere they rise, in what directions they 
flozv, and into tvhat waters they Jlozv. — Columbia, Colo- 
rado, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Lewis or Snake, Gila, 
Humboldt, Clarke's, Salmon, Willamette, Rogue. 

Lakes. — Great Salt, Tulare, Pyramid, Walker, 
Klamath, Utah, Owens, Mud. 

Capes. — Mendocino, Conception, Flattery, Blanco, 
Hancock. 

Cities and Towns. — In California. — San Francisco, 
Oakland, Sacramento, San Jose, Marj'sville, Stockton, 
Los Angeles, Grass Valley. 

In Oregon. — Portland, Salem, Oregon City, Albany, 
Corvallis. 

/// lVaskington.—\N-A\!L Walla, Seattle, Olympia, Van- 
couver, Steilacoom, Port Townsend. 

In iVevada. — Virginia City, Carson City, Eureka. 

/;/ Utah, Idaho, and Arizona. — Salt Lake City, Boise 
Citv, Lewiston, Tucson, Prescott, Yuma City. 



84 



GENERAL CHARACTER OF 



1. The Pacific Coast Region includes all 
the States and Territories west of the Rocky 
Mountains. It comprises nearly one third of the 
area of the United States, but contains less than 
one-twentieth of their population. 

2. It is naturally divided into two parts, very 
unequal in size and very unlike in character. 

3. The larger portion, which lies between 
the Rocky Mountains on the east and the Sierra 
Nevada and Cascade Mountains on the west, is 
called the Pacific Plateau or Highland ; it 
is very high, mountainous, dry, and generally 
barren. [^See Balloon View on page 2z^^ 

4- In no considcraljlc portion of the Pacific Plateau, 
except on the high mountains and in the fertile sections 
of the upper country in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, 
is there ever rain sufficient to cause crops to grow, and 
in most of this section there is no natural vegetation 
except the sage-brush, cactus, and other such plants as 
will live with very little moisture. 

5. In a few localities, however, especially in 
portions of Utah and Idaho, sufficient rain falls 
to support coarse grasses for pasture, and to 
assist in producing wheat, oats, barley, potatoes, 
and other food plants. Many of the mountain 
ridges, also, are well covered with timber, which 
grows there because much more rain falls on the 
mountains than in the valleys. 

6. During the winter great quantities of 
snow fall on the mountains ; this melts during 
the suminer and forms mountain lakes and 
streams, the waters of which find their way 
down the mountain sides into the valleys. 

7. Many of these streams in the northern 
part of the plateau or highland come together 
and forin the great river Columbia, the largest 
river of the Pacific Coast Region. 

8. In the southern part a number of small 
streams unite to form the river Colorado. 

9. In the central part other streams, rising 
in the mountains, wind about among the ridges 



till they emerge into flat, sandy, desert plains, 
which absorb all their water, and the rivers 
disappear. 

10. Some of the largest of these rivers carry so 
much water that when they reach the plains they spread 
out and fill the basins into which they flow, but which 
have no outlet to the ocean. These basins then become 
lakes, and the water in them is always salt. 

li. Although the rivers constantly discharge their 
waters into them, these lakes never become any deeper, 
their water evaporates into the dry air, just as the water 
in a pan will evaporate if set in the sun on a hot sum- 
mer day. 

12. Great Salt Lake, in Utah, is the largest 
in the Pacific Coast Region. 

13. Many of the mountain ridges of the 
Pacific Highland are rich in mines of gold and 
silver. 

14. Some of the richest of these mines — as the Corn- 
stock Silver Mines in Nevada — are situated in the most 
dry and barren places, where nothing can be made to 
grow which man or beast will eat. 

15. Many thousands of men are engaged in work- 
ing these mines, and all the food which they and their 
families eat, and everything which they wear or use, has 
to be carried to them from distant places. 

16. As the Pacific Highland will not naturally pro- 
duce any food-plants, everything which the inhabitants 
eat would have to be carried to them from the Missis- 
sippi Valley or from the Pacific Slope, if it were not for 
irrigation. 

17. Irrigation is the artificial watering of 
land, so as to make it produce crops. 

18. When we water our flowers and plants in the 
garden or in the house, with a common watering-pot, 
that is irrigation on a very small scale. If we had a 
large field of grain or of potatoes, it would not be 
possible to give it sufficient water in that wa)', because 
it would take so much time. 

19. In these dry regions men make ditches 
to conduct the water from lakes and streams in 
the mountains into the valleys, or wherever there 
is rich, level land. 



THE PACIFIC COAST REGION. 



85 



20. These ditches are so made that the 
water, on its way from the mountains, is always 
kept higher than the land which is lo be culti- 
vated ; and at each man's farm an opening is 
made in the ditch, and whenever he thinks his 
crops need water all he has to do is to open the 
gate and in an instant the water gushes out and 
runs down through little trenches all over his 
land, or just where he pleases. When he thinks 
his crop has water enough, he just closes the gate 
and his rain is all over. 

21. In this way, wherever there is good land and water 
in the neighboring mountains or in a stream, excellent 
crops can be raised, and sometimes two or three crops 
in one year. Although these ditches and trenches cost 
a great deal of money, land can be made to produce so 
much more in this way that farming may sometimes be 
even more profitable than where men depend upon a 
natural rainfall. 

2 2. By far the greater part of the Highland, 
however, is too mountainous, or too barren, or 
too destitute of water, to produce any food-plants. 

23. When we come to study each State, we shall see 
just where -the fertile, irrigated valleys all lie. 

24. The smaller portion of the Pacific 
Coast Region, which lies west of the Sierra 
Nevada and the Cascade Mountains, is called 
the Pacific Slope. 

25. Here, although there are many mountain 
ridges and some barren places, there are also 
large areas of rich valley land, with an abundant 
rainfall. Almost all of this land furnishes excel- 
lent pasturage for horses, cattle, and sheep. 

26. The Rocky Mountains form an abso- 
lute barrier to travel, except at a few points 
called Passes. {See illustration on p. 25.) 

27. By this it is not meant that it is i"mpossible 
for men to climb over them, although even this may 
be true for a good portion of their extent, but that 
it would be so extremely difficult and expensive to 
make roads over them that it has never been done, 
and is never likely to be done. 

28. No rivers in the United States break 
through the Rocky Mountains anywhere. 



29. The most important pass is that 
through which the Union Pacific Railroad is 
built, connecting the Pacific Coast with the 
Atlantic. 

30. On the shore of the Pacific Ocean the- 
mountains come down so uniformly and so close 
to the sea, that there are but few places where 
the water can break into the land sufficiently to 
form basins in which ships can anchor safely in 
stormy weather. 

31. The only good harbors for large ships 
are in Puget Sound, the mouth of the Columbia, 
the Bay of San Francisco, and the Bay of San 
Diego. 

32. SURFACE AND DRAINAGE.— 
The Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevada and 
Cascade Mountains are so high that their tops 
are covered with snow nearly all the year, and 
there are many peaks in both ranges which reach 
far above the line of perpetual snow, 

2,Z- Noted peaks are Mt. Whitney, over 15,000 feet, 
and Mt. Shasta, over 14,000 feet, both in California ; 
Mt. Hood, in Oregon ; and Pike's Peak, in Colorado. 

34. Between the Rocky Mountains and 

the Sierra Nevada are many snjaller ranges, 
usually running north and south. But few of 
these sihall ranges, in the central and southern 
portion of the Highland, reach high enough to 
cause much rain to fall upon them. 

35. The Wahsatch and the Uintah Mountains are 
much higher than the other interior ranges, and upon 
them falls the great body of snow and rain which sup- 
plies the water to irrigate and fertilize the valleys of 
northern and central Utah. 

36. North of the Great Salt Lake rises 
the Snake River, which flows into the Co- 
lumbia. 

37. East of the Wahsatch Mountains 

and south of the Uintah Mountains, various 
rivers combine to form the Colorado. 



^G 



PACIFIC COAST REGION. 



38. The Coast Range, although not nearly 
so high as the Sierra Nevada and Cascade 
Mountains, is much nearer the sea, and receives 
more rain in winter. The mountains of this 
range in the northern part of the State are densely 
covered with forests of great trees. 

39. In some places these mountains reach 
down to the ocean, while in other places there is 
a narrow strip of flat and often very fertile land 
between them and the sea. 

40. Between the Coast Range and the 
Sierra Nevadas lies the great valley of Cali- 
fornia, in which the rivers Sacramento and San 
Joaquin collect the waters which flow down from 
both ranges, and then uniting, carry them into 
the bay of San Francisco. Further north are the 
large, low, fertile valley of the Willamette and the 
smaller valley of Pugct Sound. 

41. CLIMATE. — The climate of the 
Pacific Coast Region varies greatly in different 
places. It may be divided into three districts : 
ist. The Coast District, which includes the 
Coast Range of mountains and the strip of land 
west of them ; 2d, The Valley District, between 
the Coast Range and the Sieira Nevadas; 3d, 
The Highlands. 

42. The Coast District has more rain than 
either of the others, because it is nearest the sea. 
This district is also nearly as warm in winter as 
in summer, because in winter the winds generally 
blow from the southwest, while in summer they 
generally blow from the northwest. 

43. The Valley District, in much of its 
southern part, requires irrigation to produce food- 
plants. The northern portion has more rain than 
the southern. Snow seldom falls on the coast, or 
in the valleys south of Oregon. 



44. No irrigation is ever necessary north of 
San Francisco Bay, except for garden vege- 
tables. 

45. The Valley District is much hotter in the 
summer than the Coast District, and is much 
hotter in the southern part than in the northern. 

46. Sheltered valleys of California, Oregon, 
and Washington are covered with spring flowers 
before the ice and snow of Central and Atlantic 
States in the same latitudes have even begun to 
disappear. {See inust?-ation on page 24.) 

47. The Highland District has much less 
rain than the coast or the valleys, but snow and 
some rain fall on and near the higher mountains 
in winter. 

48. Throughout the whole Pacific Coast Region 
there is little rain or snow except in winter; but 
on the coast and in the north, the rains come 
earlier and last longer than in the valleys or at 
the south. 

49. MINERALS. — Gold, silver, quicksilver, 
coal and iron, are found in the various mountain 

ranges. 

50. PLANTS AND ANIMALS. — In 

those parts of the Highland which have rain 
or snow sufiicient to support irrigation, and 
throughout the Pacific Slope, potatoes, wheat, 
barley, oats, fruits, and in some places Indian 
corn, grow abundantly. 

51. In some portions of the Highland, and in 
all parts of the Pacific Slope, sufiftcient rain falls 
to produce grass. There the buffalo, elk, and 
deer are rapidly giving place to the cattle, sheep, 
and horses of the white settlers. 




RELIEF MAP OF CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA. 



87 




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RELIEF MAP SHOWING THE FACE OF THE COUNTRY. 



OBSERVE, the Coast Mountains, between 
which are numerous snnall valleys, well watered 
and fertile; — the rich and extensive valleys of the 
Sacramento and the San Joaquin, -which lie east 
of these mountains; — the Sierra Nevada, which 
rises like an imnnense wall, with summits so high 
and cold as to bring down all or nearly all the rain 
on its western side and valleys, and to leave little 
or none for the high lands of Nevada. 



SEE how numerous are the streams westof this 
ridge and in those two great valleys, and that their 
waters find their way to the Pacific byway of the 
Bay of San Francisco. 

SEE, also, that the few small streams east of it 
have no access to the ocean, and that they mostly 
flow into lakes which have no outlets; also, that 
the mountain ranges in Nevada are short and ex- 
tend in a northerly and southerly direction. 



CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA. 



W,.st Q 'tVoiu ]\f fiVccinvicli 1)7 T 




Copyright 1880 by Jas.Moriteith 



Enn. by H.U. lierxuss.N..!C 



THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN RANGE shown 
on this map is the Sierra Nevada. 

THE HIGHEST PEAK is Mt. AA^hitney. 
THE LARGEST BAY is San Francisco Bay. 
THE LARGEST LAKE is Tulare Lake. 



THE LARGEST CITIES in Cahfornia are San 
Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, Los Angeles, 
and San Jose. 

THE LARGEST CITIES in Nevada are Virginia 
City, Gold Hill, and Carson City. 



CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA. 



89 



MAP QUESTIONS 

CALIFORNIA.— In what part of what continent is 
California? In the western part of the Western Con- 
tinent. 

In what zone is it? The North Temperate Zone. 

In what country is it? The United States. 

Into what is the State divided? Counties. Which, 
therefore, is larger, a State or a county? 

What docs a county contain? Cities, towns, and 
villages. 

What can you say of the size of California ? It is 
twice as large as Kansas. 

Kansas measures 200 by 400 miles and has an area of 80,000 
square miles. 

Which are the laigest States in the Union? Texas 
and California. 

What States on the Atlantic side of the United States 
are in the same latitude and have the same extent from 
ncrth to south as California? (Str eastern border of the 
map. ) 

What empire of Asia is in the same latitude as 
California? {See -wester)! border of 11: ap.) 

By what is California bounded on the N. ? E. ? S. ? W. ? 

What ocean washes the western or longest side of 
California ? 

What four bays on the coast of California? Which is 
the largest and most important? 

What two large rivers flow into San Francisco Bay?' 
In what part of the State does the Sacramento rise ? 
The San Joaquin? In what directions do they fiow ? 

Into which side does each receive most of its branches? 
Mention some of the branches of the Sacramento ? Of 
the San Joaquin? Among what mountains do these 
branches rise ? 

What two rivers in the northwestern part of the State ? 

What river in the Colorado Desert ? In what part of 
the State is that desert ? 

Through what remarkable valley does the Merced 
River flow ? 

What two high mountains near the source of the 
Merced River ? 

What three high peaks southeast of these? Which is 
the highest peak in the United States? Mt Whitney. 

To what mountain range do these high peaks 
belong? 

What lower range extends northwest and southeast 
bet'.veen the Pacific Ocean and the Sacramento and San 
Joaquin rivers? 

At what high peak in the north do the Sierra Nevada 
and the Coast Range meet ? In what other part of 
California do these two ranges meet? What range 
extends from that point of meeting to the southeastern 
part of the State? What high peak in this range? 



NEVADA. — By what is this State bounded on the 
N.? E. ? S.? W.? 

Mention its mountain ranges? In what direction do 
they extend ? 

Whicli is the largest river in Nevada? What is its 
largest branch ? 

B}' what river alone can water from Nevada re; ch t!ie 
Pacific ? 

Into what do all the other rivers flow? Into lakes or 
sinks which have no outlet to the ocean. 

Mention the largest lakes and sinks in Nevada ? What 
is the capital of the Slate? Which is the largest city? 
?v'Iention the other cities and towns in the State? 



200 mile 



320 miles. 




Draw a 
map of Cali- 
fornia by 
placing two 
oblongs in 
the position 
here shown. 
These ob- 
longs repre- 
sent the State 
of Kansas, 

which measures about 200 by 400 miles. This associa- 
tion will facilitate map-drawing and aid the memory in 
retaining a knowledge of distances. 

Observe, that the northern boundary almost corre- 
sponds with the end of the oblong or of Kansas — 200 
miles — that the average width of the State is a little more 
than 20omiles, and that its whole length is about 50 miles 
less than twice that of Kansas, and that Lake Tulare is 
about 400 miles from the northern boundary'. When its 
boundaries are drawn, add the mountains, rivers, lakes, 
and principal cities and towns. 

Nevada may be drawn simply by adding its northern 
and eastern boundaries. Then proceed as directed. 



90 



CALIFORNIA. 



1. California is about 750 miles from north- 
west to southeast. Its average width is about 
250 miles. It is almost three times as large as 
all New England. 

2. Its coast-line is very smooth, with but few 
harbors. 

3. The mountains rise almost directly from 
the water. 

4. The Sierra Nevada forms a part of the 
eastern boundary. The name is Spanish, and 
means Snowy Range. 

5- Mt. Whitney, the highest peak, is over 15,000 feet. 
Mt. Shasta, and some others, are over 14,000 feet high. 

6. Along the western border extends the 
Coast Range. This is lower, and the mountains 
are tilled or pastured to their summits. 

7. Between the two ranges lies the great 
level valley drained by the Sacramento and San 
Joaquin {s(7u wah-kee?i). 

8. In the southeastern part of the State is a 
deep valley or basin, called the C'olorado Desert. 
A small portion of this is called the Death Val- 
ley. Much of this region is below the ocean 
level. 

9. In nearly every part of the State there 
are many small and fertile valleys. 

10. The climate of California is very health- 
ful and pleasant, especially in the region near the 
sea and in the high mountain valleys. 

11. It resembles that of Italy, especially 
along the coast. 

12. The southern part of the State has a very 
dry, hot climate, and no summer rains. 

13. There are very few hurricanes or thunder- 
storms, and snow seldom falls in the valleys. 

Note.— It would be well to g:ive the pupils, as an oral lesson, 
some description of the whirlwinds, thunder-storms, and snow- 
storms of the Eastern States. U.sually pupils will be found in the 
class whose memory of a residence in the east will aid the effort of 
the teacher. 

14. The largest rivers are the Sacramento 
and San Joaquin. Both of these are navigable 



by steamers for a considerable distance. They 
are fed by many large streams rising in the Sierra 
Nevada. 

15. The Salinas flows into Monterey Bay, and the 
Russian River and Klamath flow into the Pacific. 

16. San Francisco Bay, San Diego {De-a- 
go) Bay, and Humboldt Bay are the principal 
harbors. 

17. Tulare Lake is large and shallow ; its 
water is muddy and impure. Kern Lake is like 
It, but smaller. Lake Mono is salt and bitter. 
Lake Tahoe is veiy pure and deep. 

18. Clear Lake is beautiful, but impure. High up 
in the Sierras there are many small lakes, fed by the 
melting snows. 

19. California produces great quantities of 
wheat, wool, wine, raisins, honey, beef, and fresh 
fruits. Most fruits grow better here than else- 
where in the United States. 

20. There are extensive forests of pine in 
the mountains, and of redwood along the coast. 
The ■' big trees " in Mariposa and Calaveras 
counties, are the largest in the world. 

21. Large quantities of gold and silver are 
mined in the Sierra Nevada. There are also rich 
mines of quicksilver in Santa Clara count}-, and 
of various metals in all parts of the State. 

22. Many salmon and trout are caught in the rivers. 

23. Yosemite Valley is one of the wonders 
of the world. It has been worn in the solid rock 
by glaciers, or slowly moving rivers of ice. It is 
about eight miles long and nearly a mile deep. 
Many streams pour into it, forming wonderful 
waterfalls. One of these is said to be the highest 
in the world. 

24. The Geysers are hot springs near by. 

25. Among other objects of interest are 
Lake Tahoe and Mount Shasta, which are much 
visited by travelers on account of the beaut}' of 
their scenery. 

Note.— It misjht he well to give oral lessons to the class con- 
cernins Yosemite, Mt. Shasta, gold-mining, and other topics of 
interest. 



CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA. 



91 



26. The Sacramento Valley produces most 
of the wheat. It has a rich, black soil, and the 
winter rains are usually abundant. 

27. The San Joaquin Valley has also a 
fertile soil, but little rain. It is cultivated mainly 
by irrigation. 

28. Santa Clara, Sonoma, and Russian 
River valleys, are fertile and productive. 

29. The mountains of the Coast Range 

have a good soil for grass, and vast numbers of 
sheep and cattle pasture there. 

30. There are beautiful valleys about Los 
Angeles, which produce immense quantities of 
fruit. 

31. The higher mountains and the south- 
eastern part of the State, are generally barren. 

32. CITIES AND TOWNS.— San Fran- 
cisco is the largest city, having a population of 
over 300,000. It is the great center of commerce 
for the Pacific Coast. 

S3- Oakland is next to San Francisco in 
population. 

34. Sacramento is the capital of the State. 
The State House and other public buildings are 
here. 

35. Los Angeles is the great market for 
oranges and wine. 

36. San Jose is a beautiful city in Santa 
Clara Valley. The State Normal School is here. 

37. Eureka and San Diego are important 
seaports. 

NEVADA. 

1. Nevada is a table-land between 4,000 
and 5,000 feet in height. It is crossed from north 
to south by many parallel ranges. 

2. The Humboldt River flows westward 
through a somewhat fertile valley, and into the 
Humboldt and Carson Sink, a shallow, alkaline 
lake, having no outlet. 



3. The Truckee River flows from Lake 
Tahoe into Pyramid Lake. 

4. The Colorado, on the south, is a large 
river, flowing through a deep valley. 

5. Lake Tahoe is high up on the slope of 
the mountains. It is very clear, pure, and beau- 
tiful. Most of the other lakes are shallow and 
bitter. 

6. The soil is dry and barren, except in the 
river-valleys. Crops are raised by irrigation, 
especially along the Humboldt and Truckee 
Rivers. Large numbers of cattle and sheep 
pasture on the plains. 

7. The climate is almost always dr}% with 
colder winters than those of California. The air 
is pure and healthful. 

8. Silver is the most important product of the 
mines. Gold, salt, borax, sulphur, and other 
minerals are produced abundantly. The most 
important silver mine is the Comstock Lode, at 
Virginia City. 

Note. — An oral lesson should be given to the class, describing 
the process of mining and reducing silver ore. 

9. Forests of pine grow on the slopes of the 
mountains ; but large tracts of country produce 
only sage-brush and grease-wood. 

10. CITIES AND TOWNS.— Carson 

is the capital. It is situated in a fertile valley. 
Here is a mint, where money is coined ; the State 
buildings are also here. 

11. Virginia City and Gold Hill adjoin 
each other and have about 25,000 people. They 
are built upon the Comstock Lode, which was 
discovered in 1858. 

12. Silver. City, Washoe, Dayton, Empire Cit}' and 
Shermantown, are important mining towns. Reno, 
Elko, Carlin, and Winnemucca, are on the line of the 
Central Pacific Railroad. 

13. EDUCATION.— Nevada has an excel- 
lent system of free schools, and all parents 
and guardians are compelled to send their chil- 
dren to school. 

14. Nevada became a State in 1864. 



VICINITY OF SAN FRANCISCO. 



lIl'^Mi' LougmiUe West I'lom Grseuwich. 12'^' 




Scale -^ 

IS miles to ilie inch 



^ 



\ SANTA 



1 f?, r. 



4'.'.;n Lougiti 1 \\ t f n W I liigton o 



What bay east of San Francisco ? Strait north ? 

What large city on the eastern side of the bay, opposite San 
Francisco ? 

What bay north of San F"rancisco Bay ? East of San Pablo Bay ? 
What large river flows south and into Suisun Bay f What large 
city on the east bank of that river ? What river flows into the Sac- 
ramento at that city ? 



Francisco Bay ? What important city between them ? What moun- 
Uio in Contra Costa county ? In Marin county ? In Alameda 
county ? AN'hat three in Santa Clara county ? 

What important liver flows through Sonoma county ? Through 
Napa county? 

What is the county seat of Marin county? Of San Joaquin 
county ? Of Napa county ? Of Santa Clara county ? Of Sonoma 



■> v,vi*..i._y . >_yi i^(i|ya ^.vjuiiLy I \.ji jjd.iiLa v_/iaia Luuntj 

What two rivers or creeks flow into the southern part of San , county? Of Solano county ? Of San Mateo county ? 



OREGON. 



93 



, , ■ . .'y. 



50 




' i6o" 



1. Oregon has two principal mountain ranges, 
the Coast Range and the Cascade Mountains. 
The latter is the higher. Mt. Hood is the highest 
peak. 

2. Between the two ranges lies the fertile 
and beautiful Willamette Valley. 

3. East of the Cascade Range there is 
much barren land, but some rich and pleasant 
plains and valleys. 

4. The climate of Oregon is m.ild and health- 
ful. Along the coast it is very moist in winter. 
There is some winter snow in the interior valleys, 
but little summer rain anywhere. 

5. The forests of cedar, pine, and other trees 
are among the finest in the world. 

6. Oregon raises large crops of the best 
wheat and other grains. 

7. Apples, pears, and other fruits are abundant and 
excellent. 

8. Grass grows well, and great quantities of 
beef and wool are produced. 

9. Gold, coal, and other mineral products are 
mined. 



Draw a map of this State on 
an oblong figure which is com- 
posed or two squares, and which 
represents Kansas in form and 
size — 200 by 400 miles. {See 
pages 72 and 82.) 

The names of the numbered 

places on this map are given 

below. Locate them on your 

drawing and tell where each is 

"^ situated. 

1. Portland. 

2. Salem. 

3. Albany. 

4. corvallis. 

5. Eugene City. 

6. Coast Range. 

7. Mt. Hood. 

8. Dalles City. 

9. Fall R. 

10. Snake or Lewis R. 

11. Umpqu.a R. 

12. Rogue R. 

13. Columbia R. 



10. 1 he Columbia is the largest river. It is 
navigated almost throughout its entire length. 

11. The Snake and Willamette are its 

most important branches. 

12. The Rogue and Umpqua flow into 
the Pacific, and carry great quantities of lumber 
to market. 

13. The fisheries are valuable. Many sal- 
mon are taken in the rivers and canned for 
export to Europe and the Eastern States. 

14. The people are mostly engaged in farm- 
ing and lumbering. Thousands of immigrants 
arrive in Oregon every year, to make homes in 
the unoccupied lands. The State is thus rapidly 
growing in wealth and population. 

15. CITIES AND TOWNS.— Portland 
is the largest cit}\ It is situated on the west side 
of the Willamette, at the head of ship navigation. 
It has a large commerce. 

16. Salem is the capital. It is a pleasant 
city in a delightful situation. 

17. Oregon City has great water-power and 
many mills and factories. 

i8 Corvallis, Dalles, Eugene City, Astoria, 
and Jacksonville, are important towns. 



94 



WASHINGTON. 



Draw^ a map of Washington 
as directed on page 93. 

The names of the numbered 
places on this map are given 
beh)\v. Locate them on your 
drawing and tell where each is S. 
situated. 

1. Vancouver Island. 

2. Gulf of Georgia. 

3. Mt. Baker. 

4. Strait of Ju.\n de Fuca. 

5. Columbia R. 

6. Clarke's Fork. 

7. Mt. Olympus. 

8. Puget Sou.\d. 
g. Seattle. 

10. Olvmi'ia. 

11. Mt. Ranier. 

12. ;\It. St. Helen's. 

13. Lewis or Snake R. 

14. Walla Walla. 

15. Mouth of Columbia R. 



MAP QUESTIONS. 

{See maps on pages 82 and 93, in connection with the above.) 

By what is Washington bounded on the N. ? E. ? S. ? W. ? 
By what is Oregon bounded on the N.? E. ? S. ? W. ? 
What mountain ranges extend through both Oregon and 
Washington? Name the highest peak in Oregon. In 
what range is Mt. Hood? Name three high peaks of 
this range in Washington. What mountain in the 
northwestern part of Washington ? 

What three rivers in Oregon between the Coast and 
the Cascade Range? Which drains the largest valley? 
What towns on this river? Which of thorn is the capital? 
Which the largest? What important Sound in Wash- 
'ington ? What towns on Puget Sound ? What large 
town in the southeastern part of the Territory ? 

What capes on the coast of Oregon ? Of Washington ? 
What large British island northwest ? What strait be- 
tween Washington and Vancouver Island? 

1. Washington is in the northwestern part of 
the United States. 

2. Its mountains inchide the Coast Range 
and the Cascade Mountains. Between them lies 
the basin of Puget Sound, which has many islands, 
channels, and harbors. East of the Cascade 
Mountains is the great plain of the Columbia. 

3. Mount Ranier, Mount St. Helen's, and Mount 
Baker, of the Cascade Range, and Mount Olympus of 
the Coast Range, are the highest peaks in the Territory. 

4. The soil in the valleys is generally fertile. 




5. The Walla Walla Region is remark- 
ably beautiful and productive. 

6. Splendid forests grow on the lands west 
of the Cascade Range. 

7. Various grains and fruits thrive. 

8. Fish are very abundant. 

9. The climate is cool and healthful, with 
abundant rains in winter ; but little snow falls in 
the valleys. 

10. The principal rivers are the Columbia, 
Snake, and Clarke's. 

11. Olympia is the capital. Walla Walla and 
Seattle are the largest towns. Steilacoom, Port 
Townsend, and Vancouver, are also important. 

12. If you should travel across Oregon or Washing- 
ton eastward from the coast, you would pass over, — first, 
a narrow strip of land ; then, the Coast Range ; then, a 
wide valley or basin containing fine farming and timber 
lands; then, the Cascade Range, when you are about 
one-third the way across; and, at last, over a great 
expanse of higher, dryer land, comprising numerous 
plains and valleys. {See Relief Map opposite.) 

13. The summits of the Cascade Range are so high 
and, consequentl}', so cold, that most of the vapor com- 
ing from the Pacific is condensed before crossing the 
range ; this is why rain is abundant west of the Cascade 
Range, and scant)' east of it. 



IDAHO AND UTAH. 



95 




Relief Map ui Oie-un aiul Washington, showing their Mountains, 
mette Valley> Puget Sound, Valley, or Basin, the Great Plain of 



IDAHO. 

1. Idaho has generally an elevated and moun- 
tainous surface. The Bitter Root and Rocky 

Mountains are on the east. The western part is 
traversed by the Snake River. 

2. The climate is dry, and the winters are 
not very cold in the valleys. Crops are raised 
mainly by irrigation. There is abundant wild 
grass for cattle. Gold is the most important 
product. 

3. Boise City is the capital. Lewiston is a 
river-port, having a large trade with the mines. 
Idaho City and Silver City are growing towns. 



UTAH. 

1. Utah is nearly square in 
form. 

2. It is a table-land about 
5,000 feet in average height, and 
is divided into two basins by the 
Wahsatch Mountains, which cross 
the Territory from the northeast 
to the southwest. 

3« Some of the mountains rise 14,000 
feet above the sea-level. 

4. On the east side of the range 
lies the basin of the Colorado, with 
its two main branches, the Green 
and the Grand. 

5. The Green and Colora- 
do Rivers flow through a won- 
derful canon some 800 miles long 
and thousands of feet deep. 

6. Great Salt Lake is about 
40 by 80 miles in extent. The 
water is very salt and heavy. It 
is supplied by the Bear and Jordan 
Rivers. It has no outlet. 

7. The climate is dry, mild, 
and healthful. There is but little 
snow in the valleys. In winter 
the mountains gather great quan- 
tities of snow, which melt in sum- 
mer, forming large streams of water. These are 
used for irrigating the valleys. 

8. Crops of all kinds of grain, vegetables, 
and fruits of the Temperate Zone, are raised 
abundantl}'. 

9. The mines of gold and silver are of con- 
siderable value. 

10. Forests are scantj'^, except in the highest 
mountains. There are large tracts of desert. 

11. The people mostly belong to the sect 
called " Latter Day Saints," or Mormons. They 
are chiefly from America, England, Denmark, 
and Sweden. By their energy and enterprise 
they have changed desert places into productive 



Kivers. Lakes, Willa 
the Columbia, etc. 



90 



ARIZONA AND ALASKA. 



farms and beautiful gardens. There are some 
thousands of people of other religions. 

12. Salt Lake City is large and flourishing. 
Next in importance are Ogden, Provo, Logan, 
and Manti. 

13. HISTORY. — Utah was purchased from 
Mexico in 1848. It was settled by Mormons 
the same year, and was organized as a Territory 
in 1850. 

ARIZONA. 

1. Arizona is a high plain or table-land, 
crossed by mountains. 

2. The two highest peaks, Mounts San Francisco 
and Bill Williams, rise to the height of about 14,000 feet. 
The average height of the table-land is some 7,000 feet. 

3. The gorge of the Colorado is very 
narrow and several thousand feet deep. The 
Gila has a broader and more open valley. 

4. The climate is very dry throughout a large 
part of the Territorv'. It is almost everywhere 
temperate and healthful. 

5. Much of the surface is bare rock (or alka- 
line desert), though there is a large area of fertile 
land along the Gila and the lower Colorado. 
The northeastern part of the State has extensive 
grazing lands. There are large forests of pine 
and other trees on the principal mountain 
ranges. 

6. Abundant crops of all the American 
fruits and grains are grown upon the irrigated 
lands, and the lower Colorado Valley is especial- 
ly productive. 

7. Gold, silver, and nearly all the metals and 
precious stones abound in Arizona. 

8. The people consist largely of Indians, 
including the Apache ' Apatch'-e), Mohave ^ Mo- 
hah-ve), Zuni [Zoo'-ne , and many other tribes. 
The Apaches are warlike and cruel. Many of 
the other tribes have large stone houses, culti- 
vated fields, and herds of domestic animals. 

9. Tucson {Took-sotie), the former capital, 
has about 5,000 people. Prescott, the capital, 
Yuma City, and La Paz, are towns of importance. 



10. As soon as the hostile Indians are subdued and 
settled upon reservations, many millions of acres of " 
land will be occupied and made productive. 

11. Arizona was formerly a part of Mexico. 
It was organized as a Territory in 1863. 



ALASKA. 

{See map of the United States.) 

1. Alaska includes a portion of the Ameri- 
can mainland extending some 1,400 miles along 
the coast. It also includes a large portion of the 
Aleutian Islands, and a range of islands skirting 
the peninsula and the mainland southward. 

2. It is bounded by the Arctic and Pacific 
Oceans, Behring Sea, and British America. 

3. The northern portion of the mainland 
is a sterile plain, rising along the Arctic coast into 
a table-land. 

4. The Alaskan Range extends through 
the peninsula, and the Coast Range forms a por- 
tion of the eastern boundary. 

5. Alaska has many volcanoes, of which ten 
are known to be active. 

6. Mount St. Elias is about 18,000 feet in 
height. 

7. Its climate is warmer than that of regions 
in the same latitude on the eastern coast. 

8. Rains are copious, and the southwest 
wind, tempered by the great current of the North 
Pacific, moderates the intensity of the cold. 

9. Its fertile land is mostly in the southern 
part ; there grain and vegetables thrive. 

10. Forests of pine and other trees are ex- 
tensive. 

11. The Yukon is its longest river. It is 
navigable for vessels of light draft over 1,000 
miles. There are many rivers and lakes. 

12. Animal life is very abundant, including 
salmon, codfish, the seal, walrus, bear, moose, and 
vast flocks of birds of passage. 

13. Alaska, formerly called Russian America, 
i was purchased by the United States from Russia. 



